Development itself is not an indicator of a particularly strong or weak economic or real estate market. Companies have many strategic reasons for ramping up or slowing down their development pipelines.

The financial crisis and ensuing fall-out has left some institutional investors wondering whether it still makes sense to invest in REITs. The answer is a resounding yes, according to Michael Hudgins, global REIT strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

The default rate on commercial real estate mortgages held by banks climbed to 3.40 percent in the third quarter of 2009, up from 2.88 percent the quarter before, according to an analysis published on Dec. 1 by Real Estate Econometrics.

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NAREIT®, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts®, is the worldwide representative voice for REITs and publicly traded real estate companies with an interest in U.S. real estate and capital markets. NAREIT's members are REITs and other businesses throughout the world that own, operate, and finance income-producing real estate, as well as those firms and individuals who advise, study, and service those businesses.